Fact or Fiction: Jayden Daniels will find a Power Five home
In today’s Fact or Fiction national columnist Mike Farrell looks at three big recent topics in college football and decides whether each statement is indeed FACT or if it’s FICTION.
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1. Ryan Day is now vastly underpaid in the Big Ten.
Farrell's Take: FACT. In the last few months Ryan Day finds himself at or behind the salary of the following Big Ten coaches — Mel Tucker at Michigan State, James Franklin at Penn State, Kirk Ferentz at Iowa and Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. Day still makes more than $6 million a year so he’s not poor but, let’s be honest, none of these guys should be making more money than Day.
Day is 34-4 at Ohio State so far in his career and has won the Big Ten outright twice. He’s also been to the playoff twice and the title game once. By the end of next season or even before he should be looking at $10 million a year or he could look to the NFL.
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2. Bill McGovern will change the UCLA defense.
Farrell's Take: FACT. Bill McGovern has been around from his days as defensive coordinator at Boston College to his time with Chip Kelly in the NFL. Now he takes over a UCLA defense that needs a shot in the arm and should get one from McGovern. His style is not overly aggressive as he likes to make teams hurt themselves but he is known for developing players, most notably Luke Kuechly at Boston College. UCLA got a good one here.
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3. Jayden Daniels will find a Power Five home.
Farrell's Take: FACT. It’s late in the world of transfers as spring football is set to begin and all the elite quarterbacks have made their moves. But with Herm Edwards in hot water at Arizona State, Jayden Daniels sees the writing on the wall and is in the portal. And even though it isn’t as big a slam dunk as you think, he’ll end up at a Power Five program.
Daniels has been a three-year starter at Arizona State and got off to a great start in his career but struggled last season with only 10 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Keep in mind that the quarterback room is a sensitive place when it comes to egos and a big name like Daniels could unsettle many. And of course Daniels will want a place to start.
While the Group of Five level is in play and probably more attractive when it comes to a certain starting role, Daniels will likely end up in the Power Five and likely at a Pac-12 program. Cal might be the fit here.